Try them out
If at all possible, buy something from each of your competitors to see what the experience is like. For larger items you might just try buying and then not complete the purchase, or just make an initial enquiry.
What kind of service do you get? How knowledgeable were they? What were their prices like? What is the quality of their product or service like? What different ways were open to you to buy from them (phone, in person, internet, catalogue etc.)? Which did you find easiest?
You need to be really open-minded and honest here. Don’t just go in trying to see the bad things – try to see what they do well. That’s the only way you’ll learn from the experience.
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